Nicole and I were serving the main course this time, which also meant we would be hosting it at my house. I first thought an Asian inspired short rib recipe would be exactly what I was looking for. Until I found this recipe: Brasato al Barolo (Braised Short Ribs with Pumpkin Orzo and Horseradish Gremolata). YUM.

Then I thought…wait a second, this is from Mario Batali’s restaurant Babbo cookbook…hmmm…why does that sound familiar? Then it dawned on me! I finished a book at the end of November titled “Heat” – which is now one of my favorite books – about Bill Buford working for Mario Batali and traveling through Italy. Well, this dish is mentioned in great detail. I looked it up, laughed at the descriptions (it’s violently vulgar), and said “sign me up! this is the dish!”

I read some more about the region this dish comes from – Emilia Romagna in northern Italy and discovered this from wikipedia:

The city of Bologna is famous for its superb cuisine. Perhaps less well known is the fact that it lies at the heart of Emilia Romagna, a region celebrated both in Italy and abroad for the range and quality of its culinary delights. From the Adriatic coast of Ravenna and Forlì to the inland plains and river vallleys of Parma, Piacenza, and Modena, Emila Romagna is richly blessed with prime produce and ingenious cooks.

We preordered short ribs (not flank style but the cut with one bone per rib) and picked them up early that Saturday along with all the other ingredients, then went back to my place to get everything prepped. Have you ever grated fresh horseradish? It is STRONG. And it’s fleshy and weird – it kind of creeped me out a bit.

Either way, the dish was hands down the best dish I’ve ever made. It was simple enough to do again, although somewhat time intensive as it requires a long time in the oven. Although the recipe says to braise at 375 for 2 hours, the next time I would braise at 350 for 3 hours.

The table setting had an Italian theme with reds, greens, and yellows.

Here is the menu:

First Course

Antipasto platter of assorted meats, cheeses, olives, and breads

Paired with: Tommasi Poggio al Tufo Rompicollo, Maremma Tuscana, 2004

Second Course

Tagliatelle with Mussels, Clams and Pesto

Paired with: Tamellini Soave, 2005 (excellent wine)

Third Course

Braised Short Ribs with Pumpkin Orzo and Horseradish Gremolata

Paired with: Josetta Saffirio Barolo, 2002

*A special note about the wine: there is this fellow who suggests wine at the place I love to go (Hennepin Lake Liquors in Uptown – their selection and prices are unbeatable) who, in the past, has had a very low success rate at suggesting wines for me. My strategy for Sat? Avoid him AT ALL COSTS. Well…that unfortunately didn’t happen as another worker pointed me directly to him and there was no one else in the store. F*****ck. He ended up suggesting this wine and it was excellent. Thank god. It was $40/bottle and we bought 2. Josetta Saffirio learned how to make wine from her mom and dad, who are both professors of winemaking in Italy. This is her second or third vintage and only makes 3,000 cases a year.

Fourth Course

Various Cheeses: Taleggio served with honeycomb, Pecorino ginepro served with balsamic reduction and olive oil, Sottocenere al Tartufo, Blu del Moncenisio with fig pear spread, Valsesia Toma with fig pear spread, La Tur with honeycomb

Paired with: Ruvei Barbera d’Alba, 2005

Fifth Course

Panna Cotta with fresh strawberries and blackberries

Paired with: Felsina vin Santo Chianti Classico, 1999

recipes after the jump

Tagliatelle with Mussels, Clams and Pesto

serves 2 (we doubled this and it was MORE than enough for 10 people – next time I would not double it for a 5 course meal)

from Bon Appetit June 2000 on epicurious

12 littleneck clams, scrubbed

12 mussels, scrubbed, debearded

1 cup dry white wine

8 oz tagliatelle or linguine (if you can find fresh or make your own, go for it!)

6T pesto (you could purchase this, but homemade is so much better)

1/4 cup sliced drained oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes

14 t dried crushed red pepper

Combine clams, mussels and wine in heavy large pot; bring to boil over medium-high heat. Cover pot; cook until shellfish open, about 7 minutes (discard any that do not open – they were already dead when you put them in and you will seriously regret trying one of these!). Using tongs, transfer shellfish to bowl; cover with foil to keep warm. Reserve shellfish juices.

Meanwhile, cook pasta in medium pot of boiling salted water until just tender (dry pasta will take around 8 minutes while fresh pasta will take around 3 minutes).

Drain pasta, return to same pot. Add reserved shellfish juices, pesto, sun-dried tomatoes and crushed red pepper. Toss over medium heat just until sauce coats pasta. Season with salt and pepper. Divide pasta among bowls, top with shellfish and serve.

Make sure to place an empty bowl on the table for discarded shells. To make this a little more exciting of an experience, when you serve this, freshly grate a hard, aged Italian cheese using a microplane grater per each person’s taste – a good parmesan reggiano or pecorino romano would be perfect.

Braised Short Ribs with Pumpkin Orzo and Horseradish Gremolata

Serves 4 (to make for 10, increase the ribs recipe by 2.5 for each ingredient; double the orzo recipe; leave the gremolata as is)

from Babbo Cookbook a la Leite’s Culinaria

SHORT RIBS

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

four 16-ounce beef short ribs

kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 carrots, peeled and roughly chopped

1 onion (white or yellow), roughly chopped

2 celery stalks (including the leaves – that’s where the flavor is!), roughly chopped

5 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

2 cups Barolo or other full-bodied wine (rule of thumb: there are 3 cups, 1 cup=8 fl oz, in a 750ml bottle of wine, so if you’re doubling or tripling this recipe, you’ll need 2 bottles of wine; this is different than getting five 6oz glasses of wine in a bottle)

one 16-oz can peeled tomatoes, crushed by hand, with their juices (I like Muir Glen the best)

1 cup beef stock

1/2 bunch thyme

1/2 bunch rosemary

1/2 bunch oregano

GREMOLATA

leaves from 1 bunch of flat leaf Italian parsley

zest of 2 lemons, cut into julienne strips

1/4 pound fresh horseradish, grated

PUMPKIN ORZO

1/2 pound pumpkin or butternut squash, seeded and peeled

kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 T extra virgin olive oil

2 T honey

2 T balsamic vinegar

1 cup orzo

1 cup chicken stock

PREPARATION

MAKE THE SHORT RIBS

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). (NOTE: I would adjust this to 350 for 3 hours)

2. In a large, heavy-bottomed skillet or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over high heat until smoking. Season the ribs with salt and pepper and cook them over high heat until deep brown on all sides, about 15 minutes total. Remove the short ribs to a plate and set aside. Add the carrots, onion, celery, and garlic to the pan and cook over high heat until browned and softened, about 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and stir in the red wine, tomatoes and juices, beef stock, and herbs, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to dislodge browned bits. Bring the mixture to a boil and return the short ribs to the pan. Cover with aluminum foil and place in the oven. Cook for 2 hours, or until the meat is very tender and literally falling off the bones. (NOTE: I would adjust this to 350 for 3 hours)

3. (NOTE: This is an additional note from Heat) When the ribs are done, remove from braising liquid and place on a pan. You could cover with foil to keep it warm. Strain the liquid to remove all the chunks of veggies and herbs. Place strained liquid into a pan and bring to a boil on the stove. Reduce by half – this is going to make the most wonderful gravy of your life.

MAKE THE GREMOLATA

In a small bowl, combine the parsley, lemon zest, and horseradish and toss loosely by hand.

4. Divide the pumpkin orzo evenly among four warmed bowls. Place one short rib in each bowl, top with a little of the pan juices and a handful of the gremolata, and serve immediately.

MAKE THE ORZO

1. Cut the pumpkin or squash into 3 or 4 evenly sized pieces. Season with salt and pepper, drizzle with the olive oil, and wrap in foil. Roast in the 375°F (190°C) oven for 30 to 45 minutes, or until very soft. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes, then place the cooked squash in the bowl of a food processor. Add the honey, balsamic vinegar, and salt and pepper and pulse to form a relatively smooth purée. Set aside.

2. Bring 3 quarts of water to a boil and add 2 tablespoons of salt. Set up an ice bath nearby. Cook the orzo in the boiling water for 3 minutes, to blanch but not cook through. Drain the orzo and plunge it into the ice bath. Once cooled, drain it and lay it out on a baking sheet to dry.

3. Bring the chicken stock to a boil in a 12-inch sauté pan. Add the orzo and squash purée and cook over high heat, stirring frequently, until the chicken stock is fully absorbed by the orzo. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Looking at the number of ingredients was kind of daunting – especially when I realized I was out of my usual stock of miscellaneous Asian necessities – but it ended up being pretty easy and most excellently balanced. Flavor-punch, lip-spanking good.

I upped the spice on this quite a bit…probably not by accident either. I would say it ended up being a 4 on a scale of 1-5. It was spank-your-lips spicy.

Drunkard’s Noodles – Pad Kee Mao

serves 2-3

time: 35 minutes

Soak noodles in cold water for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil.

Make the sauce: in a small bowl, combine 2T oyster sauce, 2T fish sauce, 2T sugar, 1T mirin, 1T rice vinegar, 1T Maggi, 1t sambal and lime juice. Mix well and set aside.

Place a large wok or skillet over high heat.

When the large pot of water is boiling, add the noodles. Cook until tender but still firm, about 8 minutes. Drain the noodles. These should be done about the time your wok-mix is done.

When the wok is hot, add oil. Add garlic, jalapeños and sliced scallion bulbs, and sauté to let flavors infuse oil, about 1 minute. Add chicken and cabbage, and stir-fry until chicken is opaque and beginning to brown, 2 to 3 minutes.

Add basil, cilantro and scallion tops. Drain noodles and add to pan. Add sauce, and toss until mixed and well-heated, 1 to 2 minutes. Serve hot, with lime wedges for squeezing over noodles.

And if that isn’t spicy enough for you, add some Sriracha for crying out loud.

Note: Maggi or Gold Mountain sauce is a brand of very strong soy sauce. It can be found at Asian markets. If you can’t find it, tamari works as a substitute.

recipe source

Last fall we finally got our shit together and decided to schedule the first one in January. Ten people decided to join, which includes 4 couples and 2 singles so we paired up into groups of 2. Nicole’s boyfriend wasn’t interested, so she and I got paired up.

The idea is that whoever hosts that night chooses the theme and main course. January was the month of Gascony, France. Home to luxurious ingredients like foie gras and duck confit, as well as fishing, wine making and brandy distilling. The host decided to make duck confit and sent us info on Gascony.

I was responsible for the third course and it turned out that would be salad for the evening. First course was hors d’oeuvres, second course was garlic soup (YUM!) and the last course was dessert.

So the evening turned out pretty nice. Until the oven broke. Hahahah. I know we’ll look back in a couple years and say, “Remember our first gourmet club and Molly’s oven broke? And we had to use her upstairs neighbor’s? Ha!”

We went through plenty of wine and plenty of food…

First Course

Radishes with chive butter

Warm olives with rosemary, garlic and lemon

Escargot in herbed cream served on crostini

Paired with Nicolas Feuillatte Brut Champagne 2004

Second Course

Garlic Soup with truffle oil (yeah, forgot the truffle oil, woops!)

Paired with Chateau Grande Cassagne Rose – Costieres de Nimes 2006 (I’ve had this rose many times and it tasted absolutely scrumptious with this soup!)

Third Course

Baked Goat Cheese Salad

Paired with Villa Burdigala Bordeaux Millesime 2004

Fourth Course

Duck confit with cinnamon sauteed apples and carrots

Paired with 100% Cab Franc – Chinon Les Petites Roches 2006

Fifth Course

Apple Brandy Tatin

Paired with Larressingle Armagnac and Dow’s 10 Year Tawny Port

recipes after the jump

Radishes with Chive Butter

16 medium radishes, trimmed and halved

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 tablespoon minced chives

kosher salt

Blend the butter with the chives and season with the salt. Arrange radishes on serving plate and pipe chive butter with a pastry bag onto the radishes. These can also be served as small sandwiches.

Warm Olives with Rosemary, Garlic and Lemon

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Zest from 1 small lemon (I used a big one!)

1 rosemary sprig

2 garlic cloves,thickly sliced

1 lb mixed oil and brine-cured olives, like Kalamata, Nicoise, Moroccan, green Sicilian and Cerignola about 3 cups

In medium saucepan combine the oil with the lemon zest, rosemary and garlic and cook over moderate heat until the garlic just begins to brown, about 6 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in the olive and let stand for at least 15 minutes before serving.

note: The olives can be made up to 3 days ahead of time and refrigerated; warm gently before serving.

Escargot in Herbed Cream

I made the rustic version of this and served it on baguette instead of a puff pastry shell.

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 large shallots minced

1/2 cup minced flat-leaf parsley

1/2 cup minced cilantro

1/4 cup minced chives

2 tablespoons minced tarragon

salt and freshly ground pepper

2 7-ounce cans large snails (about 3 dozen)

rinsed, 1/2 cup dry white wine

1 cup heavy cream

Melt the butter in large skillet, add the shallots and cook over low heat until softened but not browned about 4 minutes. Add the parsley,cilantro, chives and tarragon, season with salt and pepper and cook over moderate heat until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add snail and cook 1 minute. Add the wine and simmer for 3 minutes. Add the cream and simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Garlic Soup

serves 4-6 (I assume we doubled this)

from Kate Hill’s “A Culinary Journey in Gascony: Recipes and Stories from my French Canal Boat Trip”

In Gascony, this fortifying soup is traditionally served to newlyweds on their wedding night. Delivered in a new chamber pot to the bedroom by prankster friends long after midnight, the eggs, garlic, pepper, and vinegar serve as rustic aphrodisiacs. Because there is no stock involved, it is a perfectly simple and fast soup to prepare from the pantry.

1 t duck fat or butter

1 whole head of garlic, peeled and chopped

1 yellow or white onion, chopped

4 shallots, chopped

1 T all-purpose flour

salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

3 egg yolks

1 T wine vinegar

4 to 6 toasted bread slice, one for each bowl

In a 2-quart saucepan, bring 1 1/2 quarts of water to boil. Meanwhile, put the fat in a saute pan over medium-low heat. Add the garlic, onion, and shallots and let the begin to “sweat.” Stir the mixture often as the garlicky bits begin to soften, taking care to turn down the heat if they start to brown.

Sprinkle with the flour and stir. Cook slowly a little longer, but remove from the heat before the vegetables begin to color.

Salt and pepper the boiling water, add the vegetable mixture and simmer for about 20 minutes. When the garlic has given all its flavor to the soup broth and the garlic cloves are very soft, puree with a hand mixer in the pot.

Beat the egg yolks in a small dish with the vinegar. Alter adding a few tablespoons of the hot soup to the egg yolks, whisk the egg mixture into the hot soup and stir over medium heat until the soup just starts to look creamy. Do not boil or the egg will curdle.

Adjust the seasoning. Serve the soup ladled over the toasted bread that has been placed in individual bowls.

*Note: although this recipe doesn’t call for truffle oil, we intended to drizzle some over the plated soups…however, we forgot. (Hmmm…second course and too much wine? I think not…it was in the cupboard and we forgot. ‘Nuff said.) You could also put some finely chopped chives as a garnish to give it some color, cause gosh darn it’s yellow/white/tan.

Baked Goat Cheese Salad

tweaked from this recipe

serves 10

1 large log goat cheese (I think this is 8 oz? sorry, i’m not sure, but it’s the really big log)

1 T fresh thyme

1 cup evoo

2 cup breadcrumbs (we used Panko for extra crispiness)

2 large Mache salad mixes (we used the Earthbound large plastic containers, not the bags. would probably need about 3 or 4 bags if using that instead)

4 T balsamic vinegar

10 quail eggs

Divide the goat cheese log into 10 pieces and form them into little discs. Marinate these in 1/2 cup evoo and the fresh thyme (about an hour or more).

Put on a large pot of boiling water. When the water has boiled, add the quail eggs and boil for 2 minutes & 45 seconds. Immediately take them out of the boiling water and run cold water over them. You may chill them until you need them if you like.

Heat an oven to 450. Take the goat cheese rounds and dip them in 2 cups of breadcrumbs until covered. Place them on a wax paper/parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake them for 4-5 minutes or until bubbly.*

While the goat cheese is baking, make the salad dressing. Combine 1/2 cup evoo with 4 T balsamic vinegar and dress the greens. Place the greens on 10 plates. Place 1 goat cheese round on each salad. Slice each quail egg in half lengthwise and place on either side of the salad.

*Instead of baking the goat cheese (like if your oven breaks) then you can lightly fry them in 2T evoo in a nonstick pan over med-high heat. Fry for about 30-45 seconds on each side.

Croustade with Apples and Prunes in Armagnac

source

Total time: 1 hour, 30 minutes, plus overnight soaking time for the prunes

Servings: 8 to 10

Note: Adapted from “The Cooking of Southwest France” by Paula Wolfert. Use filo sheets measuring 13 by 18 inches; measurements should be stated on the box.

2 chamomile tea bags

25 pitted prunes

3/4 cup plus 2/3 cup sugar, divided

2/3 cup plus 2 teaspoons Armagnac, divided

2 pounds Granny Smith or Pippin apples, peeled, cored and thickly sliced

2 strips orange zest

1 moist, plump vanilla bean, split

1/3 cup butter, melted

11 or 12 sheets of filo dough

Powdered sugar for garnish

1. Brew 2 cups of chamomile tea. Put the prunes in a small heat-proof bowl, pour the tea over, and let them soak for about 2 hours, until soft.

2. Drain the prunes, dry them with paper towels, and place them in a small bowl. In a small saucepan, combine one-half cup of the sugar with one-fourth cup water. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar. Boil undisturbed for 2 minutes, then cool slightly. Pour the syrup over the prunes, then add two-thirds cup Armagnac to cover. Stir to combine, and push the prunes down so they’re submerged. (Add a little more Armagnac, if necessary.) Let the prunes soak, unrefrigerated, overnight.

3. Place the apples in a large saucepan, add two-thirds cup sugar and the orange zest. Use the tip of a small knife to scrape the seeds of the vanilla bean onto the apples, then drop in the pod. Stir carefully to combine. Cover and cook over low heat until the apples are soft (but not mushy), about 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool.

4. Drain the prunes, reserving the liquid. Cut them into quarters, place in a bowl and pour one-fourth cup of the liquid over them.

5. Mix 2 tablespoons of the melted butter with 1 tablespoon sugar, 1 tablespoon of the remaining Armagnac-prune syrup and 2 teaspoons Armagnac. Set aside.

6. Two to 3 hours before serving, place a baking sheet on the lowest oven rack and heat the oven to 400 degrees. Lightly brush a 13- to 15-inch round pan (such as a pizza pan) with 1 tablespoon of melted butter.

7. Unroll the sheets of filo in front of you and cover with a damp towel. Working quickly so the pastry doesn’t dry out, brush the top leaf lightly with melted butter. Fold it in half lengthwise, and brush each side lightly with butter. Place one short end of the folded sheet in the center of the pan, letting the sheet hang over the side of the pan. Repeat with the remaining leaves, arranging them so that they look like the spokes of a wheel (with the inner ends stacked in a hub and the outer ends barely touching).

8. Very lightly sprinkle some of the butter-Armagnac mixture over the dough that extends over the edge of the pan. Place the prunes in a 6 1/2 -inch circle in the center of the pastry. Drain the apples, remove the vanilla pod and orange zest and place the apples on top of the prunes.

9. To enclose the filling, start with the last sheet placed on the pan. Lift up the outer end and bring it toward the center, twisting the piece once so that the underside faces you. Roll up the end of the strip loosely to form a cup-shaped “rose” and set it flat on the filling, pressing lightly so it adheres. Repeat with the remaining leaves, placing the flowers close together to cover the top of the cake. (Don’t worry if a little filling shows through.) Sprinkle the top very lightly with the remaining butter-Armagnac mixture, drizzle with the remaining butter and dust with 1 tablespoon sugar.

10. Place the pan in the oven on the hot baking sheet and bake for 12 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees and bake for 20 to 25 minutes longer, or until the croustade is golden and crisp. Slide it onto a wire rack. Sprinkle the final 2 tablespoons of sugar over the top and let it cool to lukewarm. Just before serving, dust it with powdered sugar. Serve the same day it is made.

But the other night, I made the most incredible mashed potatoes and they were so simple. I discovered the next day when talking to a friend at pre-thanksgiving dinner that the unforgettable taste of those potatoes came from the actual potato I used: buttercream.

I bought them on a whim. Maybe I was nostalgic and thinking back to 2 years ago when my best friend got married and everything, and I mean everything, was buttercream. Buttercream bridesmaids dresses, buttercream purses, buttercream frosting…you get the idea.

So I thought buttercream potatoes ought to be worth a try. Whoa – it’s going to be hard to go back to any other kind after those mashed potatoes!

When I was talking with my friend about the potatoes and told her how delicious they were yet how simple, I was still incredulous over them. Once I mentioned I used buttercream potatoes, her eyes lit up and she exclaimed, “Oooooooh….buttercream potatoes!”

Needless to say, she said they’re great boiled just on their own. Oops. I guess the extra butter, milk and sour cream I added was unnecessary? I think not.

Oh Glorious Mashed Potatoes

2# bag of buttercream potatoes

2 garlic cloves, peeled

1 t salt

1/3 c sour cream

2 T butter

1/4 c milk

To prepare the potatoes you really have to do nothing other than wash them. However, I wasn’t really paying attention, so I peeled half of them and quartered all of them – this is unnecessary.

Place the potatoes and garlic in a pot with 3 quarts of water and bring to a boil. When the water starts to boil, check the potatoes to see if they’re done. Simply stick a fork or knife through one of them and if it slides in easy – you got it, like butter – then they’re done. They may need a couple minutes at a soft boil.

Drain then place back in pot. Add sour cream, butter, milk and salt and pepper to taste. Mash it all up and serve.

It was really nice to have 4 days off in a row, but more importantly it was incredible to have 2 days off when the majority of people are at work. I literally woke up and my first thought was, “What am I going to cook today?”

I made breakfast and coffee … then sat down on the couch with some cookbooks. I already talked about the mole I made on Friday (which was utterly delectably rich and savory and perfectly spicy). I’ll make mole again for sure.

I also made cinnamon rolls (which were somewhat unsuccessful – yeah. It turns out I can bake pies and some cakes, but not much else), pork tinga, and lasagna. Pretty much all over the place, huh?

Monday afternoon I was relishing my weekend. I got to cook all weekend! It was perfectly satisfying. And I realized this is what I get to do every Monday – cook all day. Whew – this makes me happy.

I finally made my first mole! And it was….extraordinary? Well, it was quite delicious, but I think I learned a few things from it.

I followed Lupe’s Mole Sauce from the Jimtown Store Cookbook (in Sonoma County) and it worked quite well. (you can find it here) NOTE: this is one of my favorite cookbook – I highly recommend it.

I had the day off and thought, “Well, what the hell, I’ve got the day off I might as well cook.” And I’ve been wanting to make this mole since August. Yikes. It’s about time, right?

So I made the mole all afternoon – it took about 4 1/2 hours – and then I brought it over to my friend Molly’s. She just had a baby so her sister and I made dinner for her and her fiance. Let me tell you…it was not as spicy as I had suspected. In fact, it was delicious and flavorful and … well … perfect.

And I have lots left over. Yay!

A friend recently turned me on to a new Spanish white wine- Albarino. We had that with this dinner and I thought it went quite well together. Although, I think a Gewurtzeminer would work too.

Roasted Halibut with Pineapple Ginger Sauce

1/3 c dry white wine

1/3 c orange juice

2 T tamari

1# halibut fillet

*mix the first 3 ingredients and marinate the halibut for 30min – 2hours. reserve the marinade

1/3c dry white wine

1T sesame oil

1T rice wine vinegar

2T tamari

1/3c orange juice

1 jalapeno, minced

2T minced fresh ginger

zest from 1 orange

zest from 2 limes

1 small red onion, sliced

2 cups diced pineapple

1 red bell pepper, julienned

2T chopped cilantro

2T sesame seeds

*preheat the oven to 400. heat a large skillet over high heat with a little bit of oil. when the pan is very hot, add the halibut. sear each side of the halibut for about 1-2 minutes. (this will help keep the fish moist and tender.) put the halibut in a roasting pan with a little bit of marinade (about 1/3) and place in the oven. the halibut will take about 20 minutes to cook – make sure you cook halibut all the way through.

*NOTE: if you’re making rice, this is a good time to get it started if you’re making Thai jasmine which takes about 15-20 minutes. brown rice takes about 40 minutes so make sure you allow plenty of time. (Joy of Cooking is always an excellent resource for cooking time for all the varieties of rice)

*in the same skillet, add the remaining marinade, the additional wine, sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, tamari, orange juice, jalapeno, ginger and zest. let this gently boil for about 5 minutes then add the red onion. the sauce should start to reduce. once it gets thicker, add the pineapple and bell pepper.

*NOTE: the Spicy Green Beans take about 8-10 minutes so start these just before the fish is done.

*when the halibut is done, remove from the oven. place rice and beans on a plate, place the halibut on top, then put some of the pineapple ginger sauce over the fish. garnish with fresh cilantro and sesame seeds.

Roasted Garnet Yams with Tarragon

2 large garnet yams, peeled

1 T fresh chopped tarragon

2 t extra virgin olive oil

1 garlic clove, minced

salt and pepper

1 t chili powder

Preheat the oven to 375.

Combine all of the ingredients other than the yams. Chop the yams into 1 inch chunks and combine with the sauce.

Roast the yams for 40-45 minutes, stirring often.

Citrus Chicken Tacos with Avocado & Fennel Slaw

tortillas (I like Rudy’s Organic Spelt)

3/4# chicken breasts

2 large oranges, juice 1 and segment the other

1 lime, juiced

1 lemon, juiced

2 avocados

1 t chili powder

1 t cumin

2 t chopped fresh tarragon

1 bulb fennel, sliced

salt and pepper

olive oil flavored with garlic

2 serrano peppers, minced

sour cream (I like using Tofutti soy sour cream)

ricotta

salsa (I like the hot variety)

romaine lettuce, chopped

Heat the broiler in your oven.

To make the marinade, combine the citrus juices, chili powder, cumin, tarragon, serrano peppers, salt, pepper, and 1/2 c of oil. Put the chicken breasts between plastic wrap and using a mallet or heavy skillet, flatten the chicken breasts. Slice the chicken breasts lengthwise into pieces 1/2# wide.

Marinate the chicken until the avocado and fennel is prepared.

Meanwhile, slice the fennel bulb into thin slices. Cut the avocados in half, remove the pit then slice lengthwise and across to create chunks of avocado. Segment the other orange by slicing the 2 ends off until you can see the orange. (This creates a flat surface to work with.) Then set the orange on its bottom and start slicing off the rest of the peel. Then slice each segment out without getting the skin section. Combine the avocado, orange, and fennel together. Remove the chicken from the marinade and place on 1 half of a baking sheet. Mix the marinade with the avocado mixture and pour that on the other half of the baking sheet.

Broil until the chicken is done- about 8 minutes.

You can either warm the tortillas in aluminum foil in the oven along with the chicken or you can heat each one over an open gas flame on your stove top.

To make the sauce, combine equal parts sour cream, ricotta and salsa. This will help to cool down the spice from the peppers.

To serve, make your tacos using what you just made: tortilla, chicken, avocado, salsa topping, and romaine lettuce.

Spicy Thai Peanut Noodles

2 T oil (I usually cook with extra virgin olive oil, but peanut or sesame would work well for this recipe)

1 egg

8 oz soba noodles (you could also use udon or rice noodles if you have a preference)

8 scallions, sliced

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 T minced fresh ginger root

12 oz meat (you can use whatever you like: chicken, tofu, beef, pork)

2 cups veggies, julienned (I used cucumbers and carrots since that’s what I had on hand)

1 cup broth (homemade if you have it)

2 T smooth or creamy peanut butter

1 t Sriracha (or other hot sauce)

2 T fish sauce

2 T tamari

juice of 1 lemon or 2 limes

chopped fresh herbs: mint, basil and cilantro

Follow the directions on the noodles package to cook the noodles.

Heat some oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Scramble the egg and set aside.

In the same skillet, add the scallions, garlic and ginger root. Saute for 1-2 minutes, till fragrant.  Add the meat and saute till almost cooked through.

Meanwhile, combine the broth, peanut butter, Sriracha, fish sauce, tamari, and lemon juice. Add this to the skillet and continue cooking till the sauce is heated. Next, add the veggies. Cook until the veggies are tender and crisp, but not soggy.

Drain the noodles and add them to the skillet. Heat the entire dish then serve with egg and fresh herbs on top.